Nail biting and Acne sufferers are aware that hormonal changes can wreak havoc in the body, producing breakouts of acne on the face and other areas of the body. Most people are not aware that acne can also be caused by a great number of other factors as well. In most cases not hormonally related, acne occurs due to bacterial exposure and irritation.
A link between habitual nail biting and acne
Any number of things can trigger the onset of a habitual nail biting and acne breakouts and many have nothing to do with how well someone washes their face each day or the amount of oil present in their skin. Something as innocuous as toothpaste can cause acne to occur around the mouth. Some toothpaste brands contain a compound known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, or SLS, that can cause irritation around the mouth, triggering an acne breakout. Some studies indicate that fluoride can cause a similar reaction in some people.
It becomes easy to see that small amounts of stimulation or irritation can cause a breakout to occur. This connection between slight irritation and acne breakouts brings us to the habitual nail biting and Acne link. The fingernails carry a host of bacteria that can cause a great deal of irritation to the skin especially around the mouth and nose. When you bite your nails, you transfer some of the bacteria to your mouth and lips.
SO WHATS the habitual nail biting and acne link ?
let us explain:
Typically, the mucous membrane areas of the face are more easily affected and irritated than others. What you might be unaware of is that when you nibble on your finger nails your scrathing the membrane area. Normally our finger nails smooth out as they grow but when bitten they become very sharp.
This makes the areas around the mouth, the most affected area due to the high concentration of mucous membranes. When you bite your nail the the bacteria harbouring under and around the fingernails comes into contact with the skin, irritation (scratching) begins and acne forms as a result. Even if the bacteria under the nails do not affect the skin, the small and light touch of the other fingers around the nose and mouth can cause enough irritation and bacteria transfer to prompt a breakout.
More information has become available in the past several years suggesting that habitual nail biting and acne might be linked in another way. For those adolescents and adults who bite their nails uncontrollably and suffer from acne, research suggests it might be an indicator of a more serious underlying medical condition. In some cases, an imbalance in the body’s hormones can trigger the urge to bite the fingernails and even toenails. This same imbalance of hormones can result in the formation of acne as well.
Is there any way to cure my compulsive nail biting and acne ?
Some people who bite their nails frequently have found help from psychiatrists and medications for many psychiatric disorders. In many cases, the patient also suffered from persistent acne. In some situations, the medication prescribed to treat the nail biting disorder seemed to minimize or eliminate the acne due to the fact they had stopped irritating the areas. This suggests that there may be a link to the medications prescribed and relief from nail biting and acne.
More study and research is necessary before an accurate determination can be made. Some say the stress on the body that suffers some sort of psychiatric disorder, like nail biting, can cause enough hormonal imbalance that people begin having acne breakouts. Those suffering from acne and nail biting will need to be patient with the current regimen of treatments until the testing is completed, and the data conclusive.
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